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5 Simple Party Dishes

Food is an essential part of a good party, no matter where you have it. But it can be time consuming to actually prepare something for a large group of people and delivery can be very expensive as well. And this is when these simple party food ideas come in to save you. Try out any of them and you won’t regret this decision!

The best and easiest party dishes are definitely snacks. There are so many possible options you can choose from depending on the size of your party and how fancy it is. You can go from tortilla chips with homemade salsa to a broccoli and cottage cheese dip with pita chips in no time. Both are very easy to prepare and can be made in big quantities. Any type of meat sliders is a great option for a smaller gathering. Just choose your favorite frozen meatballs and pair this dish with fries for an ultimate diner experience. For a more serious occasion I’d recommend making shrimp cocktail because it looks impressive but doesn’t require a lot of prep time or ingredients.

If you’re looking for a hearty dish that can be served as a main course for a big group of people, then look no further, this Barilla lasagna recipe is exactly what you need. I’d recommend making it with a few of your friends, though, for efficiency purposes. Start off by cooking the meat sauce with ground beef and onions. Then add the seasonings, tomato paste and water. Continue cooking for 2 hours and adjust seasonings as you go. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions and begin the assembly. Put the meat sauce, Provolone, mozzarella and cottage cheese between the layers, top with parmesan cheese. Broil the lasagna in tin foil for about an hour and let it rest before serving.

Homemade pizza may not look as good as the one you get at cafes or restaurants but it’s definitely very satisfying to make and very easy to customize. You can buy frozen pizza dough at the supermarket or make it yourself, it doesn’t matter. You can also turn pizza making into another party activity and have fun with your friends while experimenting with different flavors. It’s all up to you!

Smoothies have a reputation of expensive drinks that celebrities and Instagram models have for breakfast. But you can actually make them using very simple and affordable ingredients like bananas, frozen berries and fruit. It can be even another party activity where you make smoothie bowls with your friends. Or they can serve as a healthy dessert or drink option.

Party desserts can be tricky because you have to make sure everyone gets a part of it and it has to be something that anyone would like to eat. In this case, Italian meringue is a perfect option because it only requires 3 ingredients and you can refrigerate until the actual serving. A very useful trick for making a perfect meringue is to cook the sugar syrup to exactly 240 F and then add it very slowly close to the center of the bowl but not on the whisk. It’s also important to continue whipping until the meringue reaches body temperature. Serve it on a platter with rainbow sprinkles and cookies.

I hope the main thing that you got from these ideas is that you can make anything work for a party as long as you’re open-minded and creative. And also money is definitely not the problem unless you think it is!